Needing You
by Hermione Eveningfall
Summary: Hogwarts suffers it's first influenza epidemic in quite some time. Will Voldemort use this weakness to attack Harry Potter? This is a fic I'd written prior to book 5 coming out it's been revised, so it is definitely NOT canon. : Follows GOF, though.


Title: Needing You

Author: Hermione Eveningfall

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairing: Harry/Hermione

Rating: G

Summary: Hogwarts suffers it's first influenza epidemic in quite some time. Will Voldemort use this weakness to attack Harry Potter?

Chapter 1

_The Dursley's Distress_

The summer following Harry Potter's forth year at Hogwarts was an exceptionally wet one. It rained every other week, which in the young wizard's mind was quite obnoxious, even though it snuffed most of the stifling heat. He was now stuck inside on a daily basis with his overbearing, cruel relatives, who delighted in making his life miserable. Harry's only consolation, was the fact that his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were having issues regarding their relationship. Arguments broke out often this summer, and ended with Vernon stomping out of the house, gone for hours on end.

As Harry sat on his bed in Dudley's second bedroom during one of their rows, he glanced towards the window. His fifteenth birthday slowly approached, and he was quite lucky to still be alive. During his forth year, the Triwizard tournament took place at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, and someone put Harry's name secretly into the cup. He'd been forced to compete in highly dangerous tasks, with students from two different schools and one from his own.

The first two tasks seemed so easy now, compared to the third. He had nightmares about the mysterious maze, about the triwizard cup disguised as a portkey, taking he and Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff to the grave of Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle, the father of Lord Voldemort. Harry shuddered as he remembered Cedric's tragic death, and lay down amongst his pillows, listening to Aunt Petunia shouting about how his Uncle was "incredibly selfish, caring more about work than about Duddykins and me! Don't be stupid, Vernon..."

Harry closed his eyes, a slightly dull ache piercing his temple. He missed Hermione and Ron, his best friends, who did their best to keep in touch with him over the holiday. Hermione was on vacation in Hawaii with her parents, sending photographs along with her letters. Over the years she grew up considerably, and was even more beautiful than he remembered. Ron, meanwhile, was spending time with his brother Charlie in Romania, giving him a hand at his job.

..._at first I was pretty terrified, especially after your dragon task at the tournament last year. Although... once you get a feel for a dragon's personality, they're pretty neat. Definitely good creatures to have on your side! Charlie's teaching me how to tame them now...the tricky part is to get them to believe you're friendly._

_.Hope the Muggles are treating you right, and I promise when I come back, I'll ask Mum if you can stay with us for the rest of the summer. _

_Ron _

_p.s. Mum forwarded Hermione's owl to me here; seems like she's having a good time in the tropics. If it were me, I wouldn't want to come back!_

Harry chuckled to himself as he re-read Ron's letter, and the hope of staying with the Weasley's for the remainder of the summer caused his mind to fill with happiness. He heard the front door open and slam once again, and moments later, Aunt Petunia's feet on the stairs. When her bedroom door slammed shut as well, he settled again, and figured his Uncle had gone out for the third time that week. Struggling to his feet, Harry folded Ron's letter, and set it on the desk. Hedwig sat in her cage, watching him curiously as he made his way for the door to go to the bathroom. He barely made it into the hall when Dudley peeped out of his room, and whispered, "Psssst!"

Harry jumped and turned to face his overweight cousin, hiking an eyebrow. "C'mere, will you?" Dudley begged, and Harry hesitated. The only time Dudley ever asked to see him, was for his use as a personal punching bag.

"What for?" Harry asked, and Dudley craned his neck in the direction of his mother's room, his beady eyes flashing.

"Just c'mere!"

Harry sighed heavily, and reluctantly oblidged. He stood awkwardly in the center of the floor, unsure of what to expect. He regretted not bringing his wand along, just in case.

"What is it?" he asked at last, and Dudley fiddled with the watch on his risk, opening his mouth and closing it for a moment.

"I think Mum and Dad are getting a divorce," he spoke at last, and Harry blinked stupidly. That had been a thought in his mind as well, with how things were going between them. "I mean...with how bad they've been fighting."

Harry glanced over his shoulder, as though someone to jump out from behind him, and turned back to Dudley. "Yeah?" he blinked, wondering what Dudley wanted him to say. They'd never exactly been close; in fact, Dudley had beaten and picked on Harry for most of his childhood prior to Hogwarts.

"I don't know what to do about it," Dudley continued. "I wish I could say something that would help them make up, but it doesnt look like anything'll work now."

Harry smirked, and looked at his feet for a moment. "My advice would be to stay out of it, Big D," he replied, using the nickname he'd heard Dudley's friends call him as they wandered through Little Whinging. "That's what you're going by now, right?"

"But..." Dudley paused, unsure of how to continue. "Harry, er...I wanted to tell you something. I er..." he fidgeted with the watch on his wrist again, his skin turning slightly green. "Am sorry about how I've treated you."

Harry felt as though he'd been doused with cold water, and stepped back a pace. "Excuse me?" he asked, for this was certainly unforseen. "Where did that come from?"

Dudley appeared to be waiting for his mother to come in and scold him, but when no one entered the room, he blew out his breath. "It's my Dad, see," he continued. "He's been threatening me not to associate myself with the likes of you, and if I did, he'd beat me. I had to make it look like I hated you just as much as he did--Mum would have gladly ignored you, let you do what you wanted, but Dad always knew there was something funny going on."

Harry cleared his throat. "Really. So when you'd beat me up in front of your friends, that was just for show?" he could hardly believe he was standing here listening to this. There had to be a catch to it all, only he couldn't remotely figure out what it might be.

"Couldn't let my reputation get ahead of me," Dudley replied, and Harry folded his arms. Number 4 Privet Drive was very quiet now; Harry wondered if his Uncle would even return that night.

"Why are you waiting until your parents are threatening to divorce to tell me all this?" Harry demanded, and Dudley glanced out the window, where a potential storm was approaching.

"Because, well...Mum said if Dad left her, or if she left him, she refused to look after you by herself. So--you'd be going to an orphanage, I guess, seeing as you've nowhere else to go besides here."

Harry laughed...how wrong Dudley was. "I see. So only when you have a chance to get rid of me for good, do you show your big heart? Well, I've got news for you, Dud...I _have _somewhere to go. I do have friends in that freak place, and one of them has offered to let me stay with them for the rest of the summer."

Dudley frowned, and peered directly into Harry's eyes. "But what about _after_ school, then? Where would you go?"

"It'll be figured out," Harry replied. "Don't waste your time. Now if that's all you want me for, then I'll be going." he turned to leave the room, blood pounding in his ears. He knew it was too good to be true, and went back into his bedroom. Hedwig watch him from her cage, and he was quite sure she was feeling chlostrophobic. However, he wanted to make sure he got a note to Ron, asking when the Weasleys were coming for him approximately. Especially if his Aunt was planning on sending him to an orphanage; he wanted to be gone before she even had the opportunity.

Quickly, Harry rummaged through his trunk, pulling out a blank sheet of parchment and a quill. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and wind blew against the window, causing it to rattle slightly.

_Ron,_

_Received your letter, and glad you're having a good time in Romania! Taming dragons would be a good skill to know, especially if they can be used as alli's for us against you-know-who. You should talk to Charlie about that, just in case. I wonder if it's possible dragons can be persuaded?_

_Anyway, life at the Dursley's is miserable as ever, and that has doubled because my Aunt and Uncle have been fighting a lot this summer. Had a bit of a talk with Dudley (my cousin you met last summer...the ton tongue toffee one), and he says I'm to be sent to an orphanage if the divorce actually happens. I wanted to know, did you have an actual date I might be coming to the Burrow? I dont want to hurry you, but I wanted to make sure I had a comeback if I am forced to leave Privet Drive. Let me know as soon as you can. Thanks!_

_Harry_

He re-read his letter, hoping it sounded all right, and went to Hedwig's cage. "Are you ready to take a trip for me?" he asked, and she gave an excited hoot, making him smile. "Sorry I've been keeping you in here all this time, but the last thing I want is for you to be struck down by lightening." he tied the letter to her outstretched leg, and allowed Hedwig to perch on his wrist. "I need you to deliver this to Ron in Romania, all right? If the weather gets too bad, then take a detour and drop it off to the Burrow." Sliding the window open gingerly, Harry eased Hedwig outside, and watched as she disappeared amongst the dark, heavy clouds.

Returning to his bed, Harry blew out his breath, running his fingers through his messy black hair. He was so tired of this life; tired of being forced to the Dursley's after each term. He wished he could be with Sirius right now, his godfather, whom he and Hermione set free from Azkaban during their third year. Unfortunately, Sirius' name was not clear, so he was still in hiding. Where, Harry had no idea, and would have given anything to join his godfather right now.

When dinner arrived and Uncle Vernon still hadn't returned, Harry knew trouble was definitely brewing. Aunt Petunia muttered under her breath, in between shouting orders at him of course, and he felt her glaring at him all through the meal. _Like she thinks I had something to do with it, _he thought, glancing at Dudley, who looked very unnerved by the entire situation.

After dinner, Harry retreated upstairs, almost regretting having sent Hedwig away. She was the only living being in the house that didn't flinch while looking at him. "I hope Ron gets back to me soon," he thought anxiously, watching as another heavy rain began to fall.


End file.
